Open Letter to Religious Leaders on Abortion as a Moral Decision

At least 35 million American women—one in three—have had abortions. Almost half of all pregnancies in the U.S. are unintended. The pastoral needs of these women and their families go beyond the moral foundations of abortion. They also involve the responsibility of faith communities and civil society to provide the counseling, education and access to health services that enable all people to achieve spiritual, emotional and physical wholeness. The Open Letter to Religious Leaders on Abortion as a Moral Decision affirms that “the sanctity of human life is best upheld when we assure that it is not created carelessly.”